KR20150040796A - Conflict resolution based on object behavioral determination and collaborative relative positioning - Google Patents

Abstract

Using distributed localization, cooperative behavior determination, and probabilistic conflict resolution, an object can identify and resolve potential conflicts independently before they occur. In one embodiment of the present invention, interactive tags and other sensor resources associated with each of a plurality of objects provide relative position data and status information between objects. Using this information, each object builds its spatial perception of the environment, including the location and behavior of nearby objects, and corrects the behavior and resolves potential conflicts to achieve the goal more effectively when needed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a collision-

Related application

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Serial No. 13 / 873,620, filed April 30, 2013, filed May 1, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 641,201, filed May 29, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 652,347 filed on May 29, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61 / 773,063, filed March 5, 2013, I argue.

Field of invention

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the determination of the relative position of an object, and more particularly to probabilistic collision determination and resolution using ultra-wideband identification tags.

Sensor fusion is a combination of sensor data from different sources or data derived from sensor data and the resulting information is in some sense possible when these sources are used separately The better. In contrast, data fusion is a process of integration into a consistent, accurate and useful representation of a plurality of data or knowledge representing the same object. In each case, the overall objective is to provide a more accurate, more complete, or more dependable / reliable result.

The data source for the fusion process is not specified as coming from the same sensors. In fact, it can be argued that different data sources related to the same purpose can provide more accurate and more reliable results. The convergence of multiple sensor data to provide "better" data is great, but better data itself is often not sufficient. This is especially true for behavioral use of space or location data.

Understanding the exact location of someone was a long-standing quest through history. By having an accurate map and associated positional knowledge, you will think that many tasks from point A to B will be solved. However, despite the ubiquitous nature of the GPS system, people continue to get lost, traffic jams continue to occur, and conflicts remain a threat. In fact, it may be argued that these systems have made the problem worse. What is lacking in the prior art is the convergence of different location resources that provide relational information as well as spatial information that can form the basis for behavioral modification to the user. In particular, there is a lack of means for simultaneously achieving the ideal benefits of both absolute and relative positioning by properly combining multiple positioning techniques.

GPS is an example of absolute location, providing the benefit of supporting path planning, communicating over long distances, and providing a constant understanding of where things are in the world. Relative location has the advantage that it is reliable, more accurate and does not require access to an external source (i.e., satellite). The conventional teachings did not provide a means for simultaneously obtaining the benefits of both approaches. These and other deficiencies of the prior art are addressed by one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, combinations, configurations, and methods particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A system and associated methodology for distributed location, cooperative behavior determination, and probabilistic conflict resolution among a group of objects is presented below as an example. In one embodiment of the invention, interactive tags are associated with each of a plurality of objects and / or locations, each tag providing relative position data and status information about other nearby objects. Using this information, each object develops a spatial perception of its environment, including the location and behavior of nearby objects, to modify its behavior and to resolve potential conflicts to achieve a goal more effectively when needed. do.

One embodiment of the invention includes a method for determining behavior by an object and resolving conflicts comprising identifying the presence of one or more nearby objects and then constructing a local spatial awareness of the environment containing the objects. A local spatial perception (similar to a relational map) involves the relative extent, orientation and motion of each of one or more nearby objects. This method correlates the spatial perception of the local environment with the primary course of action of each object and then generates one or more probabilistic conflicts between the local spatial perception and the primary course of action (s) Lt; / RTI > When a collision is present, this embodiment of the present invention continues by modifying the behavior of the object or objects and resolving or eliminating the collision in one form. Conflicts may include probabilistic conflicts or actions that prevent mission objectives from being achieved. Other conflicts may include the identification of non-correlated objects, indicating that no objects should be in the particular environment. Similarly, a collision may indicate that one or more objects are within a predetermined range of another object or within a predetermined range of known hazards.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a system for determining behavior by an object including a detection module, a spatial recognition engine, a motion engine, and a guarded motion module and for conflict resolution. The detection module is operable to detect the presence of one or more nearby objects, while the spatial recognition engine generates a spatial representation of a plurality of nearby objects. In one aspect of the invention, the spatial representation is object centric and provides relative positional and translational information for each of one or more nearby objects. The protected motion module is communicatively coupled to the spatial cognitive engine and is operable to identify one or more probabilistic collisions. Finally, the behavior engine is operable to communicate with the protected motion module and, when necessary, modify the behavior of the object in response to the identification of one or more probabilistic collisions.

Another aspect of the invention includes a method for behavior determination and conflict resolution that begins by identifying the presence of one or more nearby objects and then determining the relational location of each of one or more nearby objects. The means for establishing such a relational location depends, in one embodiment, on the presence of a sensing infrastructure, such as a location or detection module, located at a known location.

In an embodiment where an infrastructure is present, the location or detection module is embedded within the environment and each is programmed to know their spatial location, e.g., based on GPS location or map coordinates. Other nearby objects may not know their exact geospatial location. However, as long as there are enough position modules or objects to know their position, they can be used to calculate the absolute position of another nearby object by referring to the known position of the position modules.

Each object at a known location (a location module or a nearby module that once determined its location based on one or more location modules) can measure the distance to other nearby objects. Some of these objects further include data communication means utilizing non-line-of-sight transmission to share this distance data. According to one embodiment of the present invention, these objects can then broadcast distance measurements to other objects, including the unique identifier of each object and the known location of the location modules.

Using triangulation (assuming a plurality of position modules), each object can then calculate its own and other nearby objects' positions. By doing so, each object has its relative and absolute position. In addition, each object can pass a unique identification code to the central processor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the position of each identification code is correlated with the position of each detected object. The code is also compared to a list of authenticated codes. In instances where the location of the detected object is not correlated with the location of the authenticated identification code, the present invention may identify the presence of security or security violations. The activity of an unauthorized object can be monitored and tracked and the behavior of other objects can be modified based on the presence of an unknown entity.

The features and advantages described in the present disclosure and in the following detailed description are not all inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, the terms used herein are primarily chosen for readability and teaching purposes and are not selected to describe or limit the subject matter of the present invention; It should be noted that reference to the claims is required to determine such an object of the present invention.

The foregoing and other features and objects of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become more apparent by reference to the following description of one or more embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will be.
Figure 1 illustrates a high level block diagram of a system for collaborative spatial positioning according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates a temporal urban environment in which cooperative spatial localization according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented.
Figure 3 shows a high-level representation of the mesh network interaction of a plurality of objects having cooperative spatial localization techniques.
4 is a flow chart showing an example of a methodology that can be used to cooperate with location information according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a high-level graphical representation of a plurality of cooperating objects using position location and cooperative behavior modification in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an object centric relational representation of a plurality of nearby objects shown in Figure 5 that may be determined in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is another object centric representation of a plurality of nearby objects shown in Figures 5 and 6 illustrating one embodiment of behavior modification in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a high-level block diagram of a system for distributed positioning and collaborative behavioral determination in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a flow chart of one method embodiment for distributed location, cooperative behavior determination and probabilistic conflict resolution in accordance with the present invention.
The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention for purposes of illustration only. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein can be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

Different location data derived from one or more location resources are fused with peer-to-peer relational data to provide the object with cooperative location awareness of the environment. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an object collects positioning information from one or more location resources and independently determines its spatial position as well as its relational location with respect to other nearby objects. Knowing the relative position and motion of nearby entities, the object then determines if there is any probabilistic collision. That is, if the current object maintains its current course of action, it determines if the course of action will conflict with the course of action of the detected nearby objects. Once the collision is recognized, the behavior of the object can be modified to resolve (remove) the collision.

 These and other applications of systems and associated methods for conflict resolution based on object behavior determination and collaborative relative positioning are possible and are contemplated by one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with certain specificity, it is to be understood that this disclosure is by way of example only and that various changes in the combinations and arrangements of parts may be effected by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are defined by the claims and their equivalents. The description includes various specific details to facilitate understanding thereof, but they should be regarded as illustrative only. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and brevity.

The terms and words used in the following description and the claims are not limited to the bibliometric meanings and are used only by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. It is therefore to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment " means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

The term "substantially" means that a deviation or variation, including, but not limited to, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limits, and other factors known to those skilled in the art, It can occur in an amount that does not disable the effect that the property is intended to provide.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In the drawings, the size of any given line, layer, component, element, or feature may be exaggerated for clarity.

It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. do. Thus, for example, the phrase "a component surface" includes referring to one or more of these surfaces.

The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," "including," "having," "having," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non- do. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to these elements, but may include other elements not specifically or explicitly listed in such process, method, article, or apparatus It is possible. Also, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to inclusive or and not exclusive or. For example, condition A or B satisfies any one of the following: A is true (or exists), B is false (or nonexistent), A is false (or nonexistent) Or present), and A and B are true (or present).

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the related art and their meanings in the context of the present specification and are not intended to be ideal or overly formal But should not be construed as meaning. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and / or clarity.

Element is referred to as being "on", "attached to", "connected to", "connected to", "in contact with", "mounted on", or the like, It will be understood that an element may be attached to, over, attached to, connected to, connected to, or in contact with an element, or an intermediate element may be present. In contrast, it is noted that one element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" or "directly in contact" with another element, for example, "directly on" , There is no intermediate element. Those skilled in the art will understand that references to structures or features that are "adjacent" to another feature may have portions that overlap or lie beneath adjacent features.

Spatially relative terms such as "under", "below", "under", "high", "above", etc. refer to one element or another element (S) or feature (s) described herein for convenience of explanation. It will be appreciated that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device being used or operating, in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if an apparatus in the drawing is inverted, other elements or elements described as "under" or "under" a feature will be "up" oriented to that other element or feature. Thus, the exemplary term "below" may include both "above" and "below" orientation. The device may be oriented differently (rotated 90 degrees or other orientation) and the spatially relative descriptor used herein may be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms "upward "," downward ", "vertical "," horizontal ", and the like are used herein for illustrative purposes only unless expressly stated otherwise.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooperative positioning approach may include, for example, Global Positioning System (GPS), laser-based localization, enhanced dead reckoning, Provides accurate and reliable localization, including a well-structured balance of location data obtained from active tag (ranging) tracking technology that provides local area relative direction and distance. In one implementation of the invention described above, GPS provides long-range positioning and associates relative positioning with global reference frames, while laser positioning allows a consistent local terrain understanding using a laser mapping strategy. Improved speculative navigation treats slippage by tracking the fine movement of the robot over short intervals, improves risk detection, and tag tracking capabilities can set limits for errors (less than +/- 6 inches) And allows reactive non-line-of-sight capability. While the above example describes four means of obtaining location data, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other location resources are equally applicable to the present invention and are, in fact, contemplated in that application and implementation. For example, LIDaR (LIght Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) may be employed, such as in vision detection systems.

A key advantage to the approach of the present invention is that the approach of the present invention provides redundancy in the sense that each capability is complementary to each other. One of the most urgent applications of the technology is to extend and enhance the GPS in areas where GPS is not available or inaccurate to resolve potential conflicts between objects.

According to the prior art, although GPS can be used as a localization solution, the GPS may also be equipped with a key that coordinates various important capabilities such as close quarters movement, multi-vehicle tuning, or the need for accurate marking and manipulation. There is a sufficient error that can not be used as a means. Even with a differential GPS (differential GPS) solution, the system is generally not robust or reliable in many situations, such as under a tree cover, in a bunker, in a cave, in a building, and the like. To better understand the limitations of GPS, consider the following:

GPS is a locational and navigational system that allows users to pinpoint locations on the earth with reasonable accuracy. Current GPS systems use signals transmitted by some of the 24 dedicated satellites orbiting the earth in precisely defined orbits. Using satellites as reference points, GPS receivers calculate their position based on the arrival time difference of the signals from different satellites. GPS was originally developed by the US Army to guide missiles to targets, but is now commonly used for air traffic control systems, ships, trucks and cars, mechanized agriculture, search and rescue, and environmental change tracking.

As mentioned above, the GPS is a space that provides position and time information in all weather conditions on or near the earth where there are no obstacles to the four or more GPS satellites. Based satellite navigation system. (In some cases, the positioning can be made up of three satellites.) The GPS program is a backbone for modernizing global air traffic systems, providing important functions for the world, military, civilian and commercial users, It is not.

In order to determine the position on the earth, the GPS receiver calculates its position by accurately timing the signal transmitted by the GPS satellites above the earth. Each satellite transmits a message constantly, and the message includes the time at which the message was transmitted and the satellite position at the time of message transmission.

The receiver uses the message it receives to determine the transmission time of each message and calculates the distance or range to each satellite. These distances, together with the position of the satellite, are used to calculate the position of the receiver. The location and extent of the satellite defines a sphere centered on the satellite and equal in radius to the range. The position of the receiver is somewhere on the surface of this sphere. Thus, by the four satellites, the indicated position of the GPS receiver is at or near the intersection of the surfaces of the four spheres. In the ideal case without errors, the GPS receiver will be at the exact intersection of the four surfaces.

One of the most important error sources is the clock of the GPS receiver. Because of the very large value of the speed of light c, the estimated distances from the GPS receiver to the satellites are very sensitive to errors in the clock of the GPS receiver; For example, an error of 1 microsecond (0.000001 second) corresponds to an error of 300 meters (980 feet). This implies that a very accurate and costly clock is required for the GPS receiver to operate; However, manufacturers prefer to build low-cost GPS receivers for the mass market. This dilemma is solved by exploiting the fact that there are four ranges.

It is possible that the surfaces of the three spheres intersect because the intersection of the first two spheres is usually quite large, and the third spherical surface may intersect this large circle. If the clocks are wrong, the probability that the surface of the corresponding sphere corresponding to the fourth satellite will initially cross one of the two points at the intersection of the first three spheres is very low because any clock error This is because you can miss crossing. On the other hand, if a solution is found that allows all four of the spherical surfaces to intersect at least approximately a small deviation from the complete intersection, then an accurate estimate of the receiver position is obtained and the clock is likely to be quite accurate.

The current GPS system consists of three segments; Spatial Segments, Control Segments, and User Segments. The spatial segment SS is composed of orbital GPS satellites, as can be imagined. The orbits are centered on the earth and do not rotate with the earth, but are fixed with respect to distant stars. The orbits are arranged so that at least six satellites are always in the line of sight from almost every location on the earth's surface. The result of this goal is that the four satellites are not equally spaced (90 degrees) within each orbit. Generally, the angular difference between satellites in each orbit is 30, 105, 120, and 105 degrees apart, of course, the sum is 360 degrees.

The control segment consists of a master control station (MCS), an alternate master control station, four dedicated indicator antennas, and six dedicated monitoring stations. The satellite's flight path is tracked by a dedicated monitoring station. The agency responsible for satellites then periodically contacts each of the GPS satellites and performs a navigational update using a dedicated or shared landmark antenna. These updates synchronize the onboard atomic clocks of the satellites within a few nanoseconds of each other and adjust the ephemeris of the internal orbital model of each satellite.

The user segment consists of hundreds of thousands of US and allied users of secure GPS precision location services, tens of millions of private, commercial and scientific users of standard location services. Generally, a GPS receiver is comprised of an antenna tuned to the frequency transmitted by the satellite, a receiver processor, and a high-stability clock (often a crystal oscillator). They may also include a display for providing location and speed information to the user. Each segment introduces errors into the equation, and GPS provides reliable information about the general location of the object, but does not provide accurate information. In addition, GPS is fundamentally limited in that it requires visible lines for each of at least four satellites.

Positioning based on range information (i. E., Video, radar, sonar or laser data), in order to address some of the constraints of GPS, Lt; / RTI > According to one embodiment of the present invention, GPS technology is seamlessly integrated with simultaneous positioning and mapping to provide improved navigation, search and detection. Obviously, the persistent features seen by the laser or other range finding apparatus can provide very robust data about the environment. In situations where there are known locations of persistent objects, lasers (or other range gauges) may be integrated with GPS data to narrow the deviations in location awareness. For example, if a GPS signal provides a location within a few meters and based on that location the device should be able to identify two or more potentially objects at a known location, the range information can be used to improve the accuracy of the GPS location have. However, this technique has obvious limitations, and in particular if the system does not have a persistent obstacle to repositioning, the laser or range technique will generally require a line of sight that will not interfere with the persistent object, .

Another type of position sensor considered by the present invention is an inertial sensor. Along with wireless beacons and GPS, inertial sensors form the basis for most navigation systems on airplanes. The inertial system is the perception of motion; That is, based on the acceleration and the measurement of the displacement from a known position. If an object knows its starting position, the displacement of the object from its known position can be determined using data and motion laws that provide both linear acceleration and angular acceleration. Mechanical and optical gyroscopes can be used to measure linear and angular movements through the application of the law of conservation of momentum. Unlike GPS or range localization, inertial navigation systems are self-contained. That is, they do not rely on any other information source to determine the object location. For example, if a device equipped with an inertial navigation system is instructed to proceed from its current position to another position measured from the origin, then not only can the device know that it has reached its position, At this point, you will know your position on the origin. Whether the device is in the open field, in a building basement or in a cave. However, the inertial navigation system is only as good as the initial data (initial position) input to the system and any precession in the equipment over time. All inertial navigation systems suffer from integration drift: small errors in the measurement of acceleration and angular velocity are merged into progressively larger errors in velocity, which are mixed with much larger errors in position. Since the new position is calculated from the previous calculated position and the measured acceleration and angular velocity, these errors accumulate almost proportionally to the time since the initial position was entered. Thus, the position must be periodically corrected by input from any other type of navigation system. The accuracy of the position of the object depends on the accuracy of the initial data and the point at which the actual position of the object has been updated.

Relevant means for determining the location, and means contemplated by the present invention are probabilistic navigation or path consolidation. In navigation, path integration may be performed by computing the current position by using a previously determined position or fix, or by advancing its position based on the elapsed time and the known or estimated velocity with respect to the course Process. Animals and humans instinctively perform pathway integration. For example, when you get up from your desk and go down the aisle to the coffee room, you record your travel distance, turns, and stops. If you close your eyes and try to make the same move, the accuracy will definitely fall, but most individuals will be able to regenerate their path and / or understand their location.

Path integration is subject to cumulative errors. The use of GPS and other location resources makes a simple guessing navigation seemingly outdated, but for most purposes, the guessing navigation can provide highly accurate direction and location information. Probabilistic navigation can give the best available information about a location, but it is subject to significant errors due to many factors, because both speed and direction must be known accurately at every instant in order for the location to be accurately determined. For example, if the displacement is measured by the number of revolutions of the wheel, any discrepancy between the actual diameter and the estimated diameter will probably be the source of the error, possibly due to the expansion and wear. Since each position estimate is relative to the previous estimate, the error accumulates.

Probabilistic navigation can be implemented to overcome the limitations of GPS technology. Satellite microwave signals are not available in parking windows and tunnels, and are often severely degraded by blocked visible lines or multipath propagation from urban canyon and trees to satellites. In a speculative navigation navigation system, the system is equipped with sensors that know the wheel diameter and record wheel rotation and steering direction. The next navigation system uses an algorithm that uses a series of measurements that are observed over time, including Kalman filters, i.e., noise (random changes) and other inaccuracies, and tend to be more accurate than based on a single measurement alone To generate an estimate of the unknown variable and incorporate available sensor data with occasionally unavailable location information into a combined position fix. With this method, the navigation system of the vehicle can withstand entering, for example, tunnels or moving between large buildings, which usually block GPS signals.

Another component of the cooperative localization approach of the present invention involves utilizing an active range ranging technique such as ultra wideband (UWB) radio frequency (RF) identification (ID) tags (collectively RFID). The RFID system is comprised of software such as tags, readers with antennas, and drivers and middleware. The primary function of an RFID system is to retrieve information (ID) from a tag (also known as a transponder). The tag is usually attached to an object such as a commodity or an animal so that it is possible to find the position of the commodity and the animal without the line of sight. The tag may contain additional information other than the ID. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other active range determination techniques are equally applicable to the present invention and their use is contemplated. The use of the term "tag" or "RFID tag" or the like is merely exemplary and should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the invention.

The RFID reader with the antenna reads (or queries) the tag. The antenna is sometimes treated as a separate part of the RFID system. However, since an antenna is essential for communication between a reader and a tag, it is more appropriate to consider it as a mandatory feature in both the reader and the tag. There are two ways of communicating between reader and tag: inductive coupling and electromagnetic waves. In the former case, the antenna coil of the reader induces a magnetic field in the antenna coil of the tag. The tag then transmits the data back to the reader using the induced magnetic field energy. For this reason, inductive coupling applies only to tens of centimeters of communication. In the latter case, the reader emits energy in the form of an electromagnetic wave with a much longer range of opportunities. Some of the energy is absorbed by the tag to turn on the circuit of the tag. After the tag wakes up, some of the energy is reflected back to the reader. The reflected energy can be modulated to convey the data contained in the tag.

In one implementation of the invention, the RFID or UWB tag not only can be associated with a portion of a fixed infrastructure of known, precise locations, but also provides active relative positioning between objects. In addition, tags can be connected to a centralized tracking system to carry interactive data. When the moving object interacts with a tag at a known position, the deviation in the object position data can be improved. Similarly, a tag can carry relative position and relative motion between objects. These tags possess low-detectability, are not limited to the line of sight, and are not vulnerable to jamming. Also, depending on the mounting method and the terrain on which they are implemented, the tag and tracking system may allow user / tag interaction anywhere in the precise locating radius of 200 feet to 2 miles. Currently, the tag provides a relative positional accuracy of about +/- 12 cm for each interactive object that is tagged. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the use of the term object is not intended to be limiting in any way. Although the invention is illustrated by way of example in which an object may be represented by a vehicle or a cellular telephone, the object must be interpreted as any entity capable of implementing the inventive concept presented herein. For example, an object can be a robot, a vehicle, an aircraft, a ship, a bicycle, or any other device or entity that moves relative to one another. The cooperation and communication described herein may include a plurality of communication aspects across a plurality of media.

As discussed above, conventional sensor fusion approaches involve continuous reception and transmission of detailed raw data requiring a high bandwidth communication system. High bandwidth communications systems are very costly and this approach often places high workload on users or analysts to extract appropriate insights locally, even in some aspects for geographically separated users. In addition, the existing strategy is "Where do I go from here (or should I not go)?" Or do not respond in a timely manner to the question, "What is going on toward me?"

1 illustrates a high-level block diagram of a system 100 for cooperative spatial localization in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the object 110 may employ cooperative spatial localization by receiving location information from one or more location resources 150. These resources may be used in one embodiment of the present invention for global positioning satellites 120, path integrations 130, inertial navigation systems 140, ultra wide band tag localization, (160), and range localization (170).

As described herein, the present invention combines various types of position data to arrive at a spatial representation of an object in its environment. In one example the representation may be global based or spatial, but in other examples the representation may be based on a different set of reference indicators or an object may generate its own reference frame. In fact, the present invention contemplates scenarios in which one or more objects or groups of objects can operate or produce different reference frames (spatial perception) that are seamlessly integrated.

In one implementation of the present invention, the object 110 receives position information or data from various positioning resources 150 that assist in determining its spatial position with the object. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and as discussed above, each positioning resource 150 has advantages and disadvantages. The GPS 120 requires visible lines that do not interfere with, for example, four orbital satellites, each of which transmits a distinct time identification signal (optimally). Based on the received delay of the received signal, the receiver can calculate the probabilistic position. However, if the object 110 enters a building or area that obstructs or confuses the line of sight between these satellites, the positioning becomes unreliable. In addition, despite the global acceptance of GPS for general location services, GPS does not provide sufficient accuracy for precision movement.

Similarly, the object 110 may receive position information from the inertial navigation system 140. Unlike the GPS 120, the inertial navigation system measures acceleration and time to determine the relative displacement of the object 110 from the initial starting position. Thus, moving into a building, into a cave, or beneath a lush tree does not affect the operation of such a system. However, this system is limited not only by its accuracy of its starting point, but by its ability to maintain a stable platform. If the starting point position is in error, the positioning based on the displaced motion is also error. This platform is also known as precessing, which means that the system becomes increasingly inaccurate over time. Such a car wash movement expands if the accuracy of the starting point is questionable. If the system is updated to provide a parameter for that deviation during operation, then the update is accurate and therefore the difference between the current position based on the update and the position that is supposed to be due can be assumed to be based on the drift of the system. The system can then continue to adjust this drift. However, if the initial position is incorrect, the update can introduce errors rather than eliminate the error, making it more inaccurate than leaving the system alone. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that inertial navigation systems, like in GPS, also have their limitations.

The present invention incorporates location information from a plurality of sources to determine the spatial location of the object (110). GPS 120, inertial navigation system 140, path integration 130, range location determination 170, and other location resources 150 are synthesized by a cooperative spatial localization process to provide an optimal, Reaches the position. This synthesis includes weighting each source based on perceived accuracy and hysteresis. By doing so, the determination and accuracy of the position of the object can be maintained despite the various accuracy and reliability of any one positioning resource. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the process of combining location resources 150 may also be based on matching and mismatching between resources on the location of the object. For example, if three of the four location resources match on the location of the object, the fourth determination may be negligible since there may be an error. However, when there are a plurality of collisions or a plurality of matches with respect to different positions of an object, it becomes more difficult to determine which resource to depend on. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning resource is prioritized based on a plurality of factors. Using this kind of priority schedule, a determination can be made as to which resource (or combination of resources) to rely on if there is a conflict between individual location decisions. For example, a GPS determination of the position of an object (even though it is inaccurate) may generally be consistent with the vision detection system determination. Both of these, however, are inconsistent with those produced by the laser system, which is very accurate but has ambiguity as to which target is being measured. Thus, one or more embodiments of the present invention allocate and evaluate values for each location resource, and then balance these decisions to arrive at the most likely location. By combining positioning resources in this way, sensors that provide clear reporting, such as UWB tags, RFID tags, GPS, etc., are required to provide a "near" position of the target, and then (more often than not) The resources they have can be used to improve location information.

For example, one object can determine the location of another nearby object or target within 2 meters using UWB tag or GPS. Using that information, a laser range finder can be trained to its normal position to reduce the accuracy of position information to millimeters. However, if the laser is used independently, the laser will be able to identify another target only 3 meters to the left, because the laser's field of view is very narrow. The rules can be established and set on the cooperation of positioning resources.

The present invention overcomes the convergence of sensor data by capturing and utilizing location awareness of other objects within system 100. This peer-to-peer communication allows differently isolated objects to find out the correct positioning based on the positioning and data of one or more other objects or nodes as well as internal sensor data.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in Figure 1, a communication link is established between the other cooperating spatial localization objects 110,180. In one implementation of the present invention, UWB tag 160 provides a means for exchanging data and location awareness between two or more objects within system 100. The cooperative nature of data exchange between objects not only allows each object to determine its relative position independently, but also obtains additional resources and accuracy by linking with another object. In addition, each object can provide its relative position as well as its position in spatial sense to another object. For example, two linked objects can know their spatial position with certainty within a meter, but can also provide a relative position with an accuracy of a few centimeters. In addition, a link with an additional object allows a single object to determine its relative position, and in some cases, its spatial position. In another example of the present invention, this communication link between different objects can be used to provide additional data to improve internal positioning capability. In addition, the data carried may be at various levels of specificity. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, each object can independently determine its spatial position. The object can then transmit its determination of its spatial position to other objects within the same reference frame. Alternatively, and in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an object may transmit specific position data about its spatial position that may be used in a discretion by other objects. For example, an object may transmit, within a predetermined reference frame, that its position is X with a predetermined deviation. Alternatively, or additionally, the object may also transmit GPS information, inertia information, range triangulation information, and the like, to determine whether the receiving entity is capable of providing such specific information based on the accuracy or data required by the receiving entity to improve its spatial perception Use or dispose of it. This combination of accurate relative position data combined with cooperative spatial positioning allows embodiments of the present invention to accurately integrate combined motion and activity, including predictive behavior and interaction.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. will be.

In order to better understand the complexity of the cooperative spatial location and probabilistic conflict resolution system of the present invention, the following simplified example is considered. Figure 2 illustrates a temporal urban environment in which conflict resolution based on object behavior determination and collaborative relative positioning in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented.

It is assumed that there are a plurality of objects 210, 220, 240, 250, 260, 270, each internally having the ability to use one or more location resources to determine their spatial location. For example, each object may be equipped with a UWB tag for bidirectional communication as well as having a GPS receiver, inertial system, laser positioning, speculative navigation techniques, and the like. However, each has a different ability to use each of their resources. For example, two of the objects 210,220 may be located in a given location, e.g., a building where GPS signals are not available or have limited range positioning opportunities, but each may be accurate with respect to the local environment I have data. In essence, they can not independently determine their spatial location. That is, they may have a map of the environment, but with any accuracy, they do not know if they are on the map. The third and fourth objects 240 and 250 have GPS positions, but their accuracy is questionable given signal strength and interference. However, both of these objects 240, 250 are within the range of known location markers 230, 235. The markers have known spatial locations, and using relative positioning techniques, objects proximate to the tags can accurately determine their position, despite poor GPS reception.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, determining the spatial location based on range information requires three independent sources. An object receiving a signal from a transmitter may determine that it is within a predetermined range from the transmitter. Knowing the position of the transmitter, the receiver can conclude that its position is on the surface of the sphere where the radius is the transmission range and the origin is the position of the transmitter. Receiving information from two such sources provides an intersection of two spheres forming a circle. Thus, the receiver of this example is somewhere in the intersection circle. Ideally, three intersecting spheres identify the point where the receiver is located. However, it is possible to use an independent determination of the spatial position of an object to reduce the locus of points at which the object is located. An object that receives range information from two known positions 230, 235 knows that it is on a circle defined by the intersection of the two spheres. However, the object itself has information about its spatial location that can be integrated with the received information to improve its spatial position.

Continuing with the example shown in FIG. 2, it is further assumed that two nearby objects 240 and 250 are in communication with each other and both are in communication with fixed markers (street lamps) 230 and 235. However, as indicated above, the independent geospatial resources (GPS) of the two objects 240 and 250 are not reliable. However, each may serve as a third location data source that assists each other to reach a more improved and accurate geospatial location. As mentioned, the data received from the fixed location markers 230, 235 provides the intersection of the circles. From the perspective of the first object 230, range information from the other object 250 can produce a deterministic geospatial position. This information, combined with its internal deviation, can provide better and more advanced positioning for that object 230. This type of peer-to-peer spatial location can be used to determine the location of an object without any communication to a fixed marker. The more object interaction, the more precise the position.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the location information of an object 240 partially identified by the markers 230, 235 and its GPS (or interaction with other objects) may be used for peer-to- To other objects (270, 250, 220). The car 250 next to the markers 230 and 235 will also have accurate position data, which is also visible from the markers 230 and 235 and other nearby objects. However, it can be seen that the intersection car 270, and more importantly the object 220 in the building, is very useful for location data held by another object. With this relative position data, other objects 220 can determine their spatial position, which is then supplemented by their internal system to aid in position recognition. In addition, the more isolated objects 210 in the building can obtain accurate location information using information relayed through a daisy chain or mesh network.

In the same way, an individual who can not independently determine their location from GPS or other sources can leverage known spatial data of nearby objects. An individual in the lobby of a building may determine its location despite not being able to receive any GPS data, according to one embodiment of the present invention, because other nearby objects 270, 290, 240, 230, and 235, respectively. By owning the map of its known location and its local environment, it is possible to navigate with considerable accuracy to the area without any traditional spatial support. And, the person 220 in the lobby can now pass that information to another isolated object 210 because it knows its geospatial location. For example, if the person 210 on the third floor is able to receive data from the person 220 in the lobby and two other things, the geospatial location can also be determined. This process can be daisy chained to provide a geospatial location based on sources that themselves have determined their spatial location from indirect sources.

Spatial and relative positional data may be transmitted from and among other isolated objects. For example, the car 260 located in the parking lot may also include a cooperative spatial localization device or system, such as a cellular telephone owned by the driver. During operation, the vehicle may obtain a GPS signal and, when entering the parking lot, the vehicle may use path integration or inertial navigation to generally ascertain its position within the parking lot. Using data from fixed or other nearby objects, these objects can determine and improve their spatial position. In addition, the individual 210 in the building can also set relative position data with the car 260 if it is necessary to re-establish at the end of the day.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the objects shown in Figure 2 has the ability to create and possess a centrally-oriented spatial aware representation of the local environment. By possessing this representation of the relative position and motion of the objects around it, the object can autonomously determine whether there is a probabilistic collision justifying the behavior modification. For purposes of the present application, probabilistic collision is an algorithmic decision that two objects in a spatial representation interact / collide / conflict. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the collection and analysis of real-time based data will give statistical probability rather than bright-line event determination. In addition, decisions about what is statistically significant for an object or an action can differ from each other. For example, the speed at which an object moves and the velocity at which it reacts need to take into account and respond to more potential conflicts, while an object that moves more slowly or has the ability to quickly remove itself from the environment You can have a much higher level of crash potential before action is taken.

Using a predetermined protocol, the present invention continually examines possible conflict results, and once the results or interactions meet or exceed a probabilistic level, the present invention initiates a process in which the behavior of one or more associated objects is modified do.

For example, returning back to FIG. 2, consider that the person (240) carrying the mobile phone is walking along the road and planning to cross the street at the intersection. At the same time, the vehicle 290 is moving toward the intersection. Both objects have a variety of positioning resources and are equipped with UWB tags that not only update and verify their position accuracy, but also transmit their position and relative motion to each other. Both objects 240 and 290 produce their own object-centered spatial perceptual representations, including movement positions and motions of other objects. According to one embodiment of the present invention, both objects independently determine that there is a high probability of a collision occurring between the two objects 240, 290. According to one embodiment of the present invention, once the collision is recognized and a certain threshold of probability of collision is reached, each object can independently modify its behavior to resolve, prevent or mitigate the collision. In this case, the mobile phone may generate a certain type of warning to help the individual not walk the intersection. The car can also alert the driver and slow down or yield. In addition, if the collision persists, the vehicle may start slowing or stopping the process to avoid collisions regardless of the driver's behavior. If an object acts before another object to resolve or remove the collision, another object can conclude that no further action is required.

As noted, one aspect of the present invention is the ability to collaboratively share and utilize spatial and relational data to identify and resolve potential conflicts. In order to better understand how the present invention identifies and resolves these concepts, consider the following. Figure 3 shows a high-level representation of the mesh network interaction of a plurality of objects having cooperative spatial localization techniques. In the upper part of Fig. 3, the four objects 310, 320, 330 and 340 are within cooperative ranges of each other, and each is communicably linked to form what the person skilled in the art perceives as a mesh network.

In the vicinity of each of the objects 310, 320, 330, 340, there are rings 315, 325, 335, 345 indicating the deviation or error of the determination of the independent spatial position of each object. In addition, each object includes arrows 350, 360, 370, and 380 that indicate the relative motion of each object. When objects come within communication range of each other, new objects join the existing mesh while other objects leave the network. Although we can abstractly see the mesh network as an infinite number of nodes, the probability that such a network is realistic is small. A more plausible scenario is an autonomous mesh with a mesh network or a limited number of nodes based on a central or local control node. In the latter example, one node is set as a control node, while a finite number of client or slave nodes form a mesh. If new nodes come in or out of the relationship, the mesh's interactions and the control of the mesh are re-evaluated as they are nested. In addition, nodes may reside in more than one mesh network and may cause overlapping of data transmission. Obviously, packet and data collisions within this type of network must be resolved and beyond the scope of this discussion. For purposes of the present invention, it is assumed that the objects shown in Figure 3 can form and maintain a mesh network operable to support the interaction of data between nodes in the network.

In doing so, the associated space and translation data can be transferred from one object to another. The bottom of the mesh network of FIG. 3 shows the modified deviations 315, 325, 335, 345 for each object 310, 320, 330, 340 based on newly acquired spatial and relational data. For example, the deviation 315 of the object 310 may decrease to form a new deviation 317 based on newly acquired information. As the network changes, the deviation can also increase (337). When new nodes 390 (and their deviations 395) enter the network, the exchange of relational and spatial data enables a continuous modification of the capabilities of each object to determine its cooperative spatial location, and in one embodiment, It affects the behavior.

4 is a flow chart showing an example of a methodology that can be used to cooperate with location information according to the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the combination of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and flowchart illustrations (and other flowchart illustrations in this application) may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded into a computer or other programmable apparatus to create a machine that causes instructions that execute on a computer or other programmable apparatus to generate means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks . These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a computer or other storage medium, so as to function in a particular manner to cause instructions stored in a computer-readable memory, including instruction means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks, Readable < / RTI > memory capable of indicating to the programmable device. The computer program instructions may also be loaded into a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be executed in a computer or other programmable apparatus so that instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus And to create computer-implemented processes that provide steps for implementing the specified functions.

Thus, the blocks of the flowchart illustrations support a combination of means for performing the specified functions, and a combination of steps for performing the specified functions. Each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by a special purpose hardware or firmware-based computer system that performs the specified function or step, or by a combination of special purpose hardware and computer instructions .

Some portions of this disclosure are presented in terms of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bit or binary digital signals in a machine memory (e.g., computer memory). These algorithms or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey to others skilled in the art the nature of their work. As used herein, an "algorithm" is a consistent sequence of operations or similar processing that leads to a desired result. In this context, algorithms and operations involve manipulation of information elements. Typically, but not necessarily, these elements may take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals that can be stored, accessed, transmitted, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated by a machine. For purposes of general use, these signals may be referred to as "data", "content", "bit", "value", "element", "symbol" Word "or the like is sometimes convenient. However, these particular words are merely convenient labels and will be associated with appropriate information elements.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, the discussions herein using words such as "processing", "computing", "computing", "determination", "presentation", "display" (E.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) volume in another machine component that receives, stores, transmits, or displays information, Quot; may refer to an operation or process of a machine (e.g., a computer) that is converting.

An exemplary process for cooperative spatial location in accordance with the present invention begins at 405 with the collection of location information 410 from one or more different location techniques or resources. These resources may include inertial systems, GPS, path integration, range location determination, and the like. For an object, a positional deviation for each positional information resource is determined 430 so that the information provided by each resource can be weighted and evaluated by the object. Those with high accuracy and reliability are usually weighted and evaluated more often than those with low accuracy and low reliability. These deviations are continuously monitored and updated to optimize the computed spatial location.

Once the position information is evaluated and weighted, it is then combined to determine its spatial position with respect to the object (450). In addition to individual deviations of each information source, the overall determination of location is limited to transmitting the accuracy with which the object is transmitting its position to other objects.

Objects are communicatively coupled (470) and exchange 490 spatial and relational location information that can be used to improve spatial and spatial perception of each object. The accuracy and reliability of this information is also transmitted so that the receiving object can determine the value of the transmitted information.

The present invention integrates localized relational location data with fused sensor data related to spatial location. By doing so, objects can more accurately determine their spatial position and relative motion in various environments, and can modify their behavior based on the position and relative motion of nearby objects when needed.

5 is a high-level representation of a plurality of objects using collision resolution based on object behavior determination and cooperative relative positioning in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the illustration of FIG. 5, six objects 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560 are operating in the same geographic location. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the "local" geographic location is, for the purposes of the present invention, limited only by communication technology. In one example, objects may be within a few meters of each other, and in another example, a few miles away.

Figure 5 further shows that each object possesses a predetermined recognition range centered on the object. For example, while the center object 510 recognizes each of the remaining objects 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 independently, the object 560 in the lower-left quadrant of the left hand side views three nearby objects 510, ) ≪ / RTI > sufficient to capture the knowledge of the user (e. According to one embodiment of the present invention, these nearby objects 510, 540 and 550 may enhance the ability to relay information to a distant object 560 to determine the spatial perception of the object. In this way, the object 560 can know and understand the relative position and movement of the distant object 520. The object can then independently determine whether the tracing is important or should be ignored. That is, through peer-to-peer communication, one object 560 may be able to perceive the object 520 even if it can not independently detect another object 520. Furthermore, if the object and its relative motion are not important, this can be ignored or removed from the spatial representation. However, if the relative position, direction, and speed of the object 520 are in the range of collision, assuming that they maintain the current path, then the present invention can be applied to any object 520, 560, Even if it can not be detected. For example, by the time one object moves too quickly and is locally and independently identified by another object 520, collision may not be prevented.

The detection and interaction of nearby objects allows each object to build up a spatial representation of its surroundings and react accordingly. As shown in Fig. 5 and according to one embodiment of the present invention, the recognition of a nearby object of each object includes not only its relative position, but also the state of the object. The relative motion, velocity, mission objective, reaction time, ability, etc. of the object. The movement of each object is shown as large arrows 515, 525, 535, 545, 555, 565 in the view of FIG. As objects interact to improve their spatial position, they collect more information about the speed and direction of movement of nearby objects. This allows each object to generate local spatial representations or perceptions of its environment and search for stochastic conflicts.

Figure 6 is an object-centric relational representation of a plurality of nearby objects shown in Figure 5, which may be determined in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 6 is an object centered on the leftmost object 540 in FIG. That is, the illustration of FIG. 6 provides relational information about nearby objects from the perspective of one object 540. While the spatial representation of each object can represent the same data, each will be different and independent. In addition, each may have different deviations in position reliability and accuracy. In Figure 6, the central object 540 detects five other nearby objects. From that point of view, the three objects 510, 520, 530 are on the left side thereof and the two objects 550, 560 are on the right side thereof. All objects are in line with or in front of their position. Thus, the spatial representation provides the central object 540 with relational location data for each nearby object.

The representation of each of the nearby objects 510, 520, 530, 550, 560 further includes an object attribute, including the motion of the object. In this embodiment of the invention, the relative movement of each of the adjacent objects is shown by the arrows 615, 625, 635, 655, 665, where the length of the arrow is relative to the velocity and direction 645 of the central object It represents speed. For example, movement of the leftmost object 530 and movement of the central object 540 are essentially parallel. However, as can be seen by comparison of the magnitudes of the two directional arrows 635 and 645, the leftmost object 530 is moving considerably slower than the central object 540. Similarly, the speeds of the central body 540 and the lower right body 560 are similar, but each is oriented in a different direction. In another embodiment of the present invention, the spatial representation shown in Figure 6 is purely object-centric, while in another representation a common reference frame may be used.

The spatial representation shown in FIG. 6 may also include additional information, such as an indication of position reliability of each object or whether the object has a higher mission priority than another object, in another embodiment of the present invention. For example, an object may be shown as a dot in a circle, where the point represents the determined spatial position of the object and the size of the circle represents the deviation of that crystal. A small circle surrounding a point indicates that the position is reliable and accurate, while a larger circle means that the actual position may be anywhere in the circle, although shown as being in the center of the circle.

Figure 7 is another object centric representation of a plurality of nearby objects shown in Figures 5 and 6 illustrating one embodiment of behavior modification in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the spatial representation shown is based on the central object 510 of FIG. Thus, the three objects 540, 550, and 560 are behind the central object 510 and the two objects 520 and 530 are in front of the object 510. Figure 7 includes a motion vector that is consistent with Figure 6, albeit a relational representation for a different object 510. [

In addition to the relative position information (range and orientation) and the speed of movement, Figure 7 further includes behavior information. In this case, the mission target (reaching the destination) of the central object 510 is represented as asterisks 720 and its proposed path up to goal 770 is represented by dotted line 710. Along with the proposed primary path 710, there is a motion vector 715 of the center object that indicates its relative instantaneous velocity and relative motion direction. 7 further shows the mission target of the nearby object 520 as a pentagon 780 and further shows the motion vector 725 of the object.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, each object prioritizes the received state information from each of its neighboring objects and determines if there is a probabilistic collision between nearby objects. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a behavioral engine tuned with a spatial recognition engine and a protected motion module of each object can determine whether there is a possibility of a conflict, such as a collision between objects, if the objects maintain their current course and velocity. . Based on the interaction of objects and the transmitted state information, each object prioritizes their respective goals 770,780. The central object shown in Figure 7 recognizes that a collision is likely to occur and that the target has a lower priority than the colliding object. Thus, the behavior engine modifies the proposed course to the secondary path 750, or, alternatively, stops (or slows down) until a potential collision is prevented. While another nearby object 520 having a higher priority goal maintains its proposed path up to its goal 780. Importantly, this determination is made independently of each object during tuning. The exchange of state information between objects towards the goal of prioritizing behavior modification can be based on a wide range of factors. For example, a car approaching a railroad track at the same time as an approaching train may react differently than if the crash were a collision with a bicycle on a bicycle path. Perhaps in both cases the car has a higher goal priority, but the train can not simply change its course based on its weight, speed and ability to correct the move, or modify the speed in the short term, meaningfully. Knowing these factors, the automobile can modify its approach to conflict resolution. One or more embodiments of the present invention therefore take into account such factors as the nature and ability of objects in conflict and other nearby objects in making the appropriate response. Factors may include momentum, breakdown, maneuverability, value, importance of loaded cargo, and time-sensitivity. This property can be broadcast to other nearby objects.

Those skilled in the art will understand that, as objects move and their spatial relationships change, individual prioritization and behavior modification must also change. Each of the objects provides peer-to-peer integration of the data, but each object makes independent behavior decisions.

Figure 8 illustrates a high-level block diagram of a system for distributed location and cooperative behavior determination in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the one or more objects may have a detection module 810 communicatively coupled to the spatial recognition engine 820 and the behavior engine 850. The detection module is operable to sense the presence of one or more nearby objects and to obtain the desired state information as well as the relational location (range and orientation) of the object from these objects. The information may include not only the relative motion (speed and direction) of the object, but also the capabilities of the object, physical properties of the object, mission parameters, and the like. The detection module can also obtain spatial information from the object and use that information to set the relative position of the object as well as to improve the spatial data of the receiving object itself. The detection of objects and the determination of relational data may be performed in one embodiment by means of an Ultra Wide Band Radio Frequency Identification tag (also referred to herein as an RFID tag) and other means known to those skilled in the relevant art Can be obtained. The interaction and integration of these tags can be used to communicate informative data between various objects.

The information obtained by the detection engine may, in one embodiment, be transmitted to the spatial recognition engine 820. [ The spatial recognition engine 820 establishes a relational representation of the environment in which the object operates. In one embodiment, the spatial representation is object-centric and provides persistent information about other objects in the immediate vicinity of the object. Each object creates and maintains its own spatial representation or map as well as its own positioning method. While it is not necessary to merge the representations between the various objects into a common map, this representation may include a common artifact or fiducial marker that assists in correlating the position of each object with the map. For example, the position of the fixed reference point may be used as a common reference point by each of the following represented by a map of several objects.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the spatial recognition engine abstracts the range and orientation data to be used in a tracking algorithm that can extract symbol representations representing changes in the environment consistent with the entity definitions input into the system over time can do. For example, the present invention can react differently depending on whether the object is a fast-moving large vehicle or a person who is walking slowly. The output of this representation includes a motion trajectory that includes an indication of a timestamp and data degradation. For example, as data ages, the expression becomes more and more unreliable and the response can be modified. These symbol representations may be independent of those determined by using UWB tags that transmit identification and status data. Thus, when symbols or primitive data are correlated with tag information, the reliability of the course and target of the entity is improved. Likewise, the system can identify entities that are uncorrelated or not.

Both the spatial recognition engine 820 and the detection module 810 transmit data and are communicatively coupled to the behavior engine 850. Behavioral engine 850 and spatial recognition engine 820 are also communicatively coupled to protected motion module 830. The protected motion module 830 evaluates the relative position and state of each detected nearby object along with the behavior of the host object to determine if there is any probabilistic collision. For example, the protected motion module 830 may determine, based on the spatial representation, that one of the nearby objects will collide with the current path of the host object, contrary to another object. In another embodiment, the protected motion module 830 may determine, based on the current trajectory, that the host object will encounter a known risk that may jeopardize the ability of the host executing the mission. In this case, the risk may include another object, a peripheral boundary, a fixed obstacle, and environmental factors. Protected motion modules may be equipped with a plurality of probabilistic algorithms that determine the motion of nearby objects or other known hazards that challenge the ability of an object to perform a mission or threaten the health and wellbeing of the object itself.

The behavior engine 850 can use this information to coordinate the behavior of the host and / or nearby objects to achieve a common task. The behavior engine can also selectively coordinate activities between nearby objects based on known mission objectives and perceived collisions. The behavior engine may also respond based on the perception that one or more of the nearby objects may be non-participating entities. Based on the collected spatial or sensor data, it may be possible to determine the presence of a nearby object. Although the motion of an object can be tracked and a collision can be predicted, its state as a non-correlated system can drive a different response by the behavioral engine.

For example, and in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a module may be mounted in a facility or environment of interest (a playground or a parking lot) that interacts with other nearby objects. If the mounted object is held in a fixed position, the spatial recognition representation is consistent with the geographic or structural characteristics of the environment. In addition, the mounted module can be equipped with various range / orientation sensors including laser, ultrasound, stereo vision, radar, and the like. These systems allow the mounted module to detect and track objects in the vicinity of the fixed coordinate system in the generation of the spatial recognition representation. The modules may also include the ability to interact with other objects using a UWB radio frequency identification (RFID) tag capable of providing additional status information.

The status information may include identification data that can identify particular non-enumerated objects when compared to a predefined list. For example, a mounted module may be deployed in a security facility for which restricted access is allowed. Although entry into that area can be controlled by other means, the present invention has the ability to monitor in real time all objects in the environment to verify the authenticity of each object. In addition, if a non-enumerated or unauthorized object is detected in the environment, the present invention can track its location and alert authorities about its location and behavior.

To do so, the onboard module of the present invention may further include communication capabilities, according to one embodiment, to transfer the collected data to a central computer or processor. The correlation engine (not shown) triangulates the range and azimuth information to coordinate data from multiple mounted modules to correlate and accurately track each object location.

Thus, for example, in a room where three mounted modules are located at different locations in the room and eight objects are present, the present invention can track and correlate each object. It is assumed that, among the eight objects, seven objects include UWB tags that identify these seven objects as authenticated entities. Other objects do not have tags or the code on the tags is not associated with an authentication list. Each mounted module collects independent sensor information for each object and sensor information associated with each authenticated tag. This information is correlated and compared by the central processor to match the sensor data with the UWB data. Any object whose location is identified by the sensor data but is not correlated with the authenticated UWB data may be considered unauthenticated. The present invention can then track unauthorized objects, alert authorities to violations, and / or sound alerts. Using the history data and the prediction algorithm, the present invention can predict the motion of an object.

One or more embodiments of the present invention may operate to continuously track entities within a monitored environment. Current technology monitors the entry and exit to the secured facility. Motion detectors and similar techniques can identify the presence of an object or movement of an object, but the location of an object is not identifiable. The present invention enables continuous monitoring of the position of a plurality of objects within a defined reference frame. This location description may be combined with the identity data to determine if each object in the reference frame has the correct credentials. Alternatively, the present invention may alert individual objects within a given area that an entity that does not have the correct credentials is in a local environment.

In the same way, tracking information of objects can occur manually to obtain other useful data. For example, in a marketplace with three or more scoping resources, the location and movement of each entity in the market can be tracked. The data alone may indicate which items in the market are most interested, or vice versa, indicating that interest is attracted but not sold. Similarly, a collection of positional data may be further classified if the entity has a certain type of transmission capability that can provide status information, such as gender, age, or other characteristics. In situations where individual objects can be specifically identified, the individual objects may be targeted by information based on their actions. For example, if someone appears to repeatedly pause at a counter selling a watch, a targeted ad may be delivered to that individual or family. Note that the present invention not only rely on GPS or similar technology, but may also be based on positioning from balance of location resources.

Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to modify object behavior based on spatial perception and relative motion of nearby objects. As shown in Figure 8, the behavior engine 850 is coupled to a control module 870 that initiates a command for a host object that causes various behaviors. These commands and actions are also transmitted to the detection module, when appropriate, to be delivered to another object for prediction purposes. The protected motion module 830 is also coupled to an alert module that can provide a means for alerting other objects or users to potential conflicts. For example, if an object is a mobile phone and is based on the movement of a host with a mobile phone, the object will have little ability to directly modify the behavior of the user. However, a mobile phone or similar device may be able to send an alert to the user that an impact has been identified that requires immediate attention. Likewise, the protected motion module will be able to alert other nearby objects of the collision that they perceive. Although each different object makes a similar independent decision, the determination of the same impact of another object can be enhanced by this alert. The alert module 860 may also provide collision and spatial awareness data, which may be merged with other sensor data, to the user terminal to provide a user of the control station with a comprehensive representation of the environment. In this mode, the user may modify the mission goals or behavior of one or more objects based on the greater perception of the overall environment and / or strategic goals.

Figure 9 is a flow chart of one method embodiment for conflict resolution based on object behavior determination and, if necessary, cooperative relative positioning in accordance with the present invention. This process begins with identifying the presence of a nearby object 910 (905). Using various techniques described herein and known to those skilled in the art, each object senses the presence and relative position of nearby objects. Using this data, relational locations of each nearby object are established (920). Further, spatial position and state information is received from nearby objects (930). For example, a host can determine that an object is present at a relative 120 degree azimuth at 10 meters. The object can then communicate its exact spatial location and movement to the host object. Based on this, the host can update its spatial location and determine if their path will cross and collide.

The spatial perception of the local environment, which may include common criteria as well as relational data about a plurality of nearby objects, is thus constructed (940). The spatial recognition representation may then be correlated 960 with the main course of behavior for the object to determine if there is any probabilistic collision 970. If such a collision is present, the behavioral engine may modify the behavior of the object to resolve / prevent the collision (980). The protected motion capability of the present invention can be used to coordinate and correct movements such as proceeding to a desired spatial location, to track another object at a defined distance, or to search for / Can be used to maximize ground coverage by minimizing the interaction. The system of the present invention may also be used to track the location of tagged entities and alert the user when these entities are entering (or departing from) a restricted area. Examples include unauthorized entry into a restricted area of a child's or plant facility outside the safe area of the playground. The system can also warn pedestrians and cars alike of imminent collisions near the corner of a square area, alert the school area to approach the driver, and even inhibit the ability of the vehicle to exceed a certain speed limit in the area.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an object may include a plurality of tags or sensors to provide accurate distance and range determination of the object as well as certain portions of the object. For example, a large vehicle may have a plurality of tags and antennas oriented so that their orientation and exact position can be determined with respect to risk or impact. In this way, the user or motion engine in such a vehicle can determine that not a whole body, but a certain portion of the body, is colliding. For example, consider a truck that moves back into a narrow loading dock. The docks include danger tags that mark obstacles on the loading dock while trucks include tags and antennas on each corner of the vehicle.

When a truck moves into a loading station equipped with the system of the present invention, the truck can manipulate the movement of the object to prevent collision of any particular portion of the vehicle. The present invention applies the cognitive techniques used by living organisms to machines. Consider, for example, a person walking down the crowded streets of New York City. Using his own sense, an individual collects spatial data about its geographic location as well as relational perceptions about other moving objects in the immediate vicinity. The person may have the goal of moving a total of four city blocks from point A to B. To do so, the person may have set up a primary route of movement initiated from walking down the street. Once on India, he should quickly assess the movement and location of other people, carts, objects on India and avoid them. In a typical afternoon, it would be impossible to walk down a straight line without considering other people moving nearby.

Then, when the person comes to the intersection, he will once again use the side information such as the sensor data and the crosswalk signal to determine whether to always try to traverse the local situation for the collision. Individuals can navigate the complex environment well, follow other individuals without being too close, or modify the route if it is determined that the primary route is unavailable. Embodiments of the present invention apply the conflict resolution logic based on object behavior determination and collaborative relative positioning to improve the ability of a user or object to achieve a mission goal while resolving probabilistic conflicts.

One aspect of the present invention is the convergence of sensor data that provides optimal cooperative positioning and, if necessary, collision resolution. This is achieved not only by using a highly accurate sensor platform, but also by blending the data with a platform with less ambiguity. For example, the initial approach to setting the "following" behavior was based on the idea that any object should proceed to the reported location of another object. If the first object moves and reports a new position, the following object will modify its course accordingly. Large errors in positioning and time delay make this approach unsuccessful. The present invention solves these and other similar failures by balancing the different sensor platforms. For example, a less accurate GPS positioning of a nearby object (target object) can be used to clarify various precise and stable targets that appear obscure.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that this disclosure is by way of example only and that various changes in the combinations and arrangements of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

Preferred embodiments of the invention are outlined below. One method for determining behavior by an object and resolving conflicts includes the following steps:

Identifying the presence of one or more nearby objects;

Establishing a local spatial awareness of the environment including one or more nearby objects, the local spatial awareness including relative ranges, orientations and motions of each of the one or more nearby objects;

Correlating the local spatial perception of the local environment with the first course of action of the object;

Determining one or more probabilistic collisions between the local spatial awareness and the first course of action of the object; And

- Modifying the behavior of the object in response to the determination of one or more probabilistic collisions.

Methods for Determining Behavior by an Object and Methods for Resolving Conflicts Other desirable features of embodiments include:

The modifying step includes modifying the first course of action to resolve one or more probabilistic conflicts.

● Modifying involves replacing the first course of action with a second course of action to resolve one or more probabilistic conflicts.

The first course of action is associated with the mission goal, and the modifying step involves modifying the mission goal to resolve one or more probabilistic conflicts.

One or more probabilistic collisions are determined by a predetermined protected movement protocol.

The predetermined protected motion protocol includes maintaining a minimum safe separation distance between objects.

● One or more probabilistic collisions are collisions between objects and one or more nearby objects.

● One or more probabilistic collisions are collisions between objects and known risks.

• Local spatial perception includes range based tracking of each of one or more nearby objects.

The presence of one or more nearby objects is determined by the interaction of UWB RFID tags.

- receiving status data from each of one or more nearby objects.

● State data contains the object identifier.

The building step comprises correlating the object identifier of each of the identified one or more nearby objects with a predetermined authentication list of nearby objects.

• One or more probabilistic collisions include identifying unauthorized existence of one or more nearby objects.

- initiating a user alarm system in response to the determination of one or more probabilistic collisions.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a system for determining behavior by an object and resolving conflicts comprises:

A detection module operable to detect the presence of one or more nearby objects;

A spatial recognition engine communicatively coupled to the detection module, operable to generate a spatial representation of one or more nearby objects, the spatial representation providing relative position and translation information for each of one or more nearby objects;

A protected motion module communicatively coupled to the spatial recognition engine and operable to identify one or more probabilistic collisions; And

A behavioral engine communicatively coupled to a protected motion module and operable to modify object behavior in response to identification of one or more probabilistic impacts.

Other features of the system for determining behavior by objects and resolving conflicts may include the following:

● Detection module receives position information from active range decision resources.

• The detection module receives collective position information from one or more nearby objects.

There is at least one probabilistic collision between an object and one or more nearby objects detected.

A protected motion module includes one or more predetermined protected motion protocols.

At least one predetermined protected motion protocol includes maintaining a minimum separation between objects.

● One or more probabilistic collisions are collisions between objects and one or more nearby objects.

● One or more probabilistic collisions are collisions between objects and known risks.

● One or more probabilistic collisions are the detection of unauthorized objects in spatial representation.

● Behavior is the first course of action to achieve mission goals.

● Behavioral engine modifies at least one of the object's collective mission objectives and one or more nearby objects.

● Spatial representation is object-centric.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention for collision identification and resolution includes the following:

A plurality of detection modules each operable to detect the presence of one or more nearby objects, each of the plurality of detection modules including a receiver operable to receive status information from one or more nearby objects;

A spatial recognition engine communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of detection modules, the spatial recognition engine being operable to generate a spatial representation of one or more nearby objects, the spatial representation providing relative position and translation information for each of the one or more nearby objects;

A correlation engine coupled to the spatial recognition engine and operable to correlate relative position and translation information with received state information;

A protected motion module communicatively coupled to the spatial recognition engine and the correlation engine, the protected motion module being operable to identify one or more conflicts; And

A behavioral engine communicatively coupled to the protected motion module and operable to modify the behavior in response to identification of one or more impacts.

Additional features of the system for identifying and resolving conflicts include:

Each of the plurality of detection modules is operable to independently collect range information for each of one or more nearby objects.

• Status information includes identification data.

• One or more collisions include a non-correlation between objects detected by a plurality of detection modules and received state information.

As those skilled in the art read the present disclosure, those skilled in the art will also appreciate additional alternative structural and functional designs for systems and processes for cooperative spatial localization through the principles disclosed herein. Thus, while specific embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to precisely the exact construction and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, changes, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the structure, operation and details of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Likewise, the specific naming and distinction of modules, administrators, functions, systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies, and other aspects is not mandatory or important and the mechanisms implementing the invention or its features are not intended to encompass different names, , ≪ / RTI > and / or format. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the modules, managers, functions, systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies and other aspects of the present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, have. Of course, whatever component of the invention may be implemented as software, the component may be implemented as a script, as a standalone program, as part of a larger program, as a plurality of separate scripts and / or programs, As a library, as a kernel loadable module, as a device driver, and / or in any other manner now known or later known to those skilled in the computer programming arts. Additionally, the present invention is not limited in any way to an implementation in any particular programming language, or an implementation for any particular operating system or environment. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention disclosed in the following claims.

In a preferred embodiment, all or part of the present invention may be implemented in software. Software programming code embodying the present invention is typically accessed by a microprocessor from some type of long-term persistent storage medium, such as a flash drive or a hard drive. The software programming code may be embodied in any of a variety of known media for use in data processing systems, such as diskettes, hard drives, CD-ROMs, and the like. The code may be distributed on such medium or distributed to such other computer system for use by other computer systems over some type of network from memory or storage of one computer system. Alternatively, the programming code may be implemented in the memory of the device and accessed by the microprocessor using the internal bus. In memory, techniques and methods for implementing software programming code on a physical medium and / or distributing software code over a network are well known and will not be discussed further herein.

Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced using other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, I will understand. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote memory storage devices.

Exemplary systems for implementing the present invention may be implemented in the form of a conventional personal computer, personal communication device, etc., including a processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus connecting various system components including the system memory to the processing unit , And a general purpose computing device. The system bus may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory generally includes a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). A basic input / output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the personal computer, such as during start-up, is stored in the ROM. The personal computer may further include a hard disk drive for reading from and writing to the hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to the removable magnetic disk. The hard disk drive and the magnetic disk drive are connected to the system bus by a hard disk drive interface and a magnetic disk drive interface, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for a personal computer. Although the exemplary environment described herein employs hard disks and removable magnetic disks, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of computer readable media that can store data accessible by a computer may also be used in the exemplary operating environment I will understand.

Embodiments of the invention as described herein may be implemented with reference to various wireless networks and their associated communication devices. The network may also include a mainframe computer or server, such as a gateway computer or an application server (which can access the data store). The gateway computer acts as an entry point into each network. The gateway may be connected to another network by a communication link. The gateway may also be connected directly to one or more devices using a communication link. In addition, the gateway may be indirectly connected to one or more devices. The gateway computer may be coupled to a storage device, such as a data store.

Implementations of the present invention may also be implemented in a web environment where a software installation package is downloaded using a protocol such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to one or more target computers (devices, objects) connected via the Internet from a web server . Alternatively, implementations of the present invention may be implemented using a technology such as Remote Method Invocation ("RMI") or CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) An extranet, or any other network). ≪ / RTI > The configuration for the environment includes a multi-tier environment as well as a client / server network. Also, both the client and the server of a particular installation may be on the same physical device, in which case no network connection is required. (Thus, the potential target system being queried may be the local device on which the implementation of the present invention is implemented.)

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with the description of cooperative spatial location, it will be clearly understood that the above description is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In particular, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the disclosure will suggest other modifications to those skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features that are known per se and may be used in place of or in addition to the features already described herein. Although the claims in this application are drawn up with specific combinations of features, the scope of the present disclosure also encompasses any novel combination of features, either explicitly or implicitly disclosed to a person skilled in the art of any novel feature or related field, Generalizations, or modifications, whether or not they relate to the same invention as the presently claimed invention in any claim, and whether any or all of the same technical problems that the invention encounters may be mitigated I have to understand. Applicants retain the right to make new claims on these features and / or combinations of these features during the progress of the present application or during the proceeding of any other application derived from this application.

Claims (31)

As a method for behavioral determination and conflict resolution by an object,
Identifying the presence of one or more nearby objects;
Developing a local spatial awareness of the environment including the one or more nearby objects, wherein the local spatial awareness includes a relative range, orientation and motion of each of the one or more nearby objects;
Establishing a communication link between the object and each of the one or more nearby objects, each object sharing peer-to-peer relational data with each other object;
Correlating the local spatial perception of the local environment with a primary course of action of the object;
Determining one or more probabilistic collisions between the local spatial awareness and a first course of action of the object; And
In response to determining one or more probabilistic collisions, modifying the behavior of the object
/ RTI > 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises modifying a first course of the behavior to resolve the one or more stochastic conflicts. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises replacing the first course of action with a secondary course of action to resolve the one or more stochastic conflicts. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first course of action is associated with a mission goal, and wherein the modifying comprises modifying the mission objective to resolve the one or more stochastic conflicts. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are determined by a predetermined protocol. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined protocol comprises maintaining a minimum safety isolation distance between objects. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are collisions between the object and one or more nearby objects. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are collisions between the object and known risks. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local spatial awareness comprises range based tracking of each of the one or more nearby objects. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the at least one nearby object is determined by interaction of an ultra wide band radio frequency identification tag. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving status data from each of the one or more nearby objects via the communication link. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the status data comprises an object identification. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said constructing comprises correlating an object identifier of each of said identified one or more nearby objects with a predetermined authorization list of nearby objects. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more probabilistic collisions comprise identifying an unauthorized presence of one or more nearby objects. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising initiating a user alarm system in response to a determination of one or more probabilistic collisions. A system for determining behavior by an object and resolving conflicts,
A detection module operable to detect the presence of one or more nearby objects;
A spatial recognition engine communicatively coupled to the detection module and operable to generate a spatial representation of the one or more nearby objects, the spatial representation comprising relative position and translation information for each of the one or more nearby objects, positional and translational information;
A communication engine operable to establish a communication link between the object and each of the one or more nearby objects, each object sharing peer-to-peer location and translation information with respective other objects;
A guarded motion module communicatively coupled to the spatial recognition engine and operable to identify one or more probabilistic collisions; And
A behavioral engine communicatively coupled to the protected motion module and operable to modify object behavior in response to the identification of the one or more stochastic collisions;
. ≪ / RTI > 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the detection module receives location information from an active ranging resource. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the detection module receives collective positional information from the one or more nearby objects. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are between the object and the detected one or more nearby objects. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the protected motion module comprises one or more predetermined protocols. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one predetermined protocol comprises maintaining a minimum separation between objects. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are collisions between the object and the one or more nearby objects. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are collisions between the object and known risks. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more stochastic collisions are detection of an unauthorized object in the spatial representation. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the behavior is a first course of action to achieve a mission goal. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the behavior engine modifies an aggregate mission target of at least one of the object and the one or more nearby objects. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the spatial representation is object centric. A system for conflict identification and resolution,
A plurality of detection modules, each of which is operable to detect the presence of one or more nearby objects, each of the plurality of detection modules including a receiver operable to receive the peer-to-peer status and location information from the one or more nearby objects -;
A spatial recognition engine communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of detection modules and operable to generate a spatial representation of the one or more nearby objects, the spatial representation providing relative position and translation information for each of the one or more nearby objects -;
A correlation engine coupled to the spatial cognitive engine and operable to correlate relative position and translation information with received state information;
A protected motion module communicatively coupled to the spatial recognition engine and the correlation engine, the protected motion module being operable to identify one or more conflicts; And
A behavioral engine communicatively coupled to the protected motion module and operable to modify behavior in response to the identification of the one or more impacts;
. ≪ / RTI > 29. The system of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of detection modules is operable to independently collect range information to each of the one or more nearby objects. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein the status information comprises identification data. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more collisions comprise a non-correlation between objects detected by the plurality of detection modules and received state information.

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